[Information provided by:
ClinicalTrials.gov, which provides patients, family members, and members of the public easy and free access to information on clinical studies for a wide range of diseases and conditions.]

- Newly diagnosed (previously untreated or currently receiving cancer treatment for the diagnosis that made the patient eligible for this study) with germ cell tumor, hepatoblastoma, medulloblastoma, neuroblastoma, osteosarcoma, or other malignancy

- Planning to receive a chemotherapy treatment regimen that includes a cumulative cisplatin dose ? 200 mg/m² with individual cisplatin doses to be infused over ? 6 hours

- Creatinine clearance or radioisotope glomerular filtration rate ? 70mL/min OR serum creatinine between 0.4 and 1.7 mg/dL, based on age and gender

- Total bilirubin ? 1.5 times upper limit of normal (ULN) for age

- AST or ALT < 2.5 times ULN for age

- Not pregnant or nursing

- Negative pregnancy test (if patient has child-bearing capacity)

- Fertile patients must use effective contraception

- No known hypersensitivity to sodium thiosulfate or other thiol agents (e.g., amifostine trihydrate, N-acetylcysteine, MESNA, or captopril)

PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:

- See Disease Characteristics

- No prior platinum-based chemotherapy (cisplatin or carboplatin)

- Other prior chemotherapy allowed

- Prior cranial radiotherapy (e.g., for treatment of medulloblastoma) allowed provided normal hearing is documented after completion of radiotherapy and before enrollment and administration of cisplatin chemotherapy